Harvey is returning from Tommy John surgery that cost him all of last season.

"To know I can throw strikes with everything right now, I’m pretty happy," Harvey said, per the New York Times.

Harvey has a 1.45 ERA this spring with 17 strikeouts in 18 and two thirds innings.

Mets GM: Ticket sales a factor in choosing Harvey's spot in rotation

by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com

(3/24/15) Mets general manager Sandy Alderson indicated Tuesday having Matt Harvey slot into the third spot in the rotation was partly impacted by ticket sales for the team's first home series against the Phillies from April 13-16.

Harvey, who missed the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery, is slated to make his second start of the season April 14, which would be the team's second home game. Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom is slated to start the home opener April 13.

While many factors went into choosing Harvey's spot in the rotation, having him pitch the second home game of the season will likely increase ticket sales, according to ESPN. Last season, the Mets drew 42,442 on Opening Day at Citi Field against the Nationals and 29,146 in the second game.

"Look, we take a lot of things into account," Alderson said. "I think the first and foremost is: Does any pitcher deserve to pitch in a game of that sort? And I think that was the primary focus. You're assuming people are more interested in seeing Harvey pitch than Jacob. That's probably true, but not something that I would acknowledge. There are lots of secondary considerations."

When asked if ticket sales were among those secondary considerations, Alderson said with a smile, "Could be."

The news confirms a report from Sunday indicating that Colon, deGrom and Harvey would face the Nationals in the first series of the season. Colon will become the oldest Opening Day starter in franchise history, surpassing Tom Glavine in 2007.

Report: Mets tap Bartolo Colon for Opening Day, set rotation

The team confirmed the report Monday. Colon is set to become the team's oldest Opening Day starter ever, surpassing Tom Glavine in 2007. He went 15-13 with a 4.09 ERA and 151:30 K:BB ratio in 202 1/3 innings.

Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom will start the team's second game of the season as well as the home opener against the Phillies. Matt Harvey, who was in the mix to pitch the home opener, will follow deGrom in both of the first two trips through the rotation.

Mets' Matt Harvey dominates Yankees in start

by Shawn Krest | CBSSports.com

(3/22/15) Mets pitcher Matt Harvey pitched five and two thirds shutout innings against the Yankees on Sunday, allowing just two hits.

Harvey struck out four of the 18 batters he faced and retired 10 in a row at one point. Not only didn't he walk a batter, but he never went to three balls on anyone.

After the game, manager Terry Collins said that Harvey would not start the home opener for the Mets, per ESPN's Adam Rubin.

03/25/2015 15:282015 Draft Prep: 10-team, NL-only Roto mock
While the pitching pool is deep in the National League, the hitting field has the opposite problem. Our Scott White takes a look at our latest 10-team, NL-only Roto mock draft.

2014 summary: Matt Harvey missed the entire season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

Playing time status: Harvey is expected to be ready for spring training, and while he should begin the regular season in the Mets' rotation, he will likely have his turn in the rotation skipped at various points throughout the year. The Mets will aim to keep Harvey's workload under 200 innings.

2015 outlook: Even with an innings limit, Harvey has the potential to be a Fantasy ace. Pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery always represents a risk, so owners shouldn't rely upon Harvey to be their top hurler, but he should slot in nicely as a No. 2 pitcher and one of the first 20 starters to come off the board.
(Updated 12/11/14)